Easter Comes in Many Shades
by rachgreengeller
Summary: An Easter celebration as the Friends combine their different cultures and traditions for a huge Easter and Passover celebration as Alex Tribbiani comes to NY for her first holiday .
1. Chapter 1

I know I know I have a million stories to update , but this is a special week in our Christian calendar. The Friends celebrated Christmas, and Thanksgiving and Halloween and New Years, and of course Hanukkah. They had never celebrated Easter however, so this is my personal Friends Easter story. Three different religions will be represented here as Joey and the other Tribbianis celebrate Easter and in our religion the Tridium , The Gellers and Bings celebrate Passover, and in Phoebe's new age tradition. .. the passage of Spring is celebrated as well. So I invite you one and all to a Friends Easter celebration….

These characters are the creation of Bright Kaufmann and Crane….and also Bright Gold San for the characters of Alex Tribbiani, Michael Tribbiani and Gina Tribbiani…. I would like to ask Marta , David , and Kevin for one of them though ….please oh please can I have Ross?

The bright California sun shone through the drapes of Joey and Alex's large house. Joey had always called it his movie star home. Before he and Alex were married, he lived alone and tried to make peace with the fact that she was with Dean now. Alex came to her senses and within the month, her and Joey were married. She was now Alexis Julia Garrett Tribbiani. Her huge diamond confirmed that fact. She rolled over to spy on her handsome Italian husband. He had the same impish grin when he slept that Alex loved. It may have sounded trite and insulting , but when he used that deep voice and leaned against her, she loved it when he said his patented pick up line. "How you doin?"

Rachel Geller looked into the mirror and saw the dark lines under her eyes. She lifted her hair line and saw the gray peeking out from her blonde roots. Oh no, she had to cover that up before the faculty cocktail party this weekend. The pain of being an executive and also the wife of the chair of the department.

"Mommy?" a small voice echoed from the floor. Rachel peered down and saw her four year old daughter Emma. Emma clutched in her hands a pink stuffed bunny. She lifted her onto the counter in the bathroom and Emma watched as Rachel continued her beauty routine . "Mommy, what's that?" she said as she noticed that her mommy's hair was a different color. Rachel brushed her bangs down and then struggled to find an answer.

"That just shows Mommy isn't so young anymore." Rachel said embarrassed. "That's' okay. You will always be the young cheerleader I fell in love with." Rachel heard the familiar baritone voice behind her and smiled. "Thank you honey." She said with a smile and turned to kiss him.

Gloria and Nonni returned from Mass carrying palms in their hands. It was Palm Sunday and every year they would be given blessed palms to carry in the procession and then they would be shoved behind the ancient crucifix in the living room. Gloria went to the crucifix which was next to her row of pictures of her family. In a large gold frame was her oldest, her son Joey, the big television star. Then she looked over at the photo of her daughter Gina and her son Michael. Such a good boy and smart. A characteristic that was not shared with the Tribbiani line. She felt bad for the way she treated Gina when she found out she was pregnant. Jimmy had gotten her pregnant and then she felt the need to go to California where Michael was born and raised. Of course Gloria had her other daughters, Deena, Tina, Mary Angela, Mary Theresa, Cookie, and the others, but she wished with all her heart that she could spend one Easter with her daughter Gina and her only boy Joseph.

Monica had her list on the table. In characteristic Monica fashion, it had a bunny sticker to symbolize that it was for Easter week. The bunny made her smile as she thought of her favorite bunny, her husband Chandler Muriel. Growing up in a mixed household, Monica would celebrate Passover and then she would host a huge Easter celebration worthy of Martha Stewart. She was having a house load of people coming in, and she sat chewing on her pen as she wrote down each guest.

"Let's see there is Phoebe and Mike and their little baby, Rain. Ross, Rachel , Emma, Ben, ….. Mom and Dad, Nora and Charles,….."

"Hold it." Her husband said as he noticed the names of his parents on the list. "You did not say my parents were coming." Chandler said as he examined the list.

"They just called. Your mother is coming in from Paris and your father is canceling his Easter show…" Monica said excited.

"Grandma and Grandpa. That's cool." Erica smiled through her

"Yeah ." echoed Jack.

"I am not going to watch my father preen in front of a mirror singing I Enjoy Being A Girl." Chandler exploded. "While my mother wears a dress that shows her cleavage as she fingers her college aged lover."

"They are your parents." Monica reminded him. "And holidays are for family."

"Did you remember that after your brother pulled out his keyboard and played his composition Easter/Passover are they really the same?" Chandler gently said.

"I understand." Monica said. "But I want them here for the kids."

"Okay but if my father shows up in a Playboy bunny outfit , I am outta here." Chandler said defensively. Monica came over to the side of her husband. "Speaking of bunny." She wrapped her arms around her husband and hugged him from behind. It came to him . "Oh no no no. I am not dressing up as the Easter Bunny."

"But honey, you are so cute." Monica said sexily. "And you are a sexy bunny." She purred. "And the kids wouid love it." She said gently.

"No , why can't you ask the Holiday Armadillo to do it? He 's used to looking stupid." Chandler said. "And please tell me he is not going to do his lecture on the similarities between Passover and Easter again."

"I won't , but he has slides." Chandler dropped his head in defeat. "Alright I 'll do it. " Monica kissed him and smiled at him. "My big bunny."

Phoebe twirled around the apartment as her baby Rain was strapped to her back. Mike put down his briefcase and stared as his wife danced around to the cd.player blaring the chants. Candles and the smell of incense filled the air.

"Hi honey, I 'm home." Mike said in a sarcastic way, as he tried to be the stereotypical husband. As it was obvious, his wife was far from the typical soccer mom. Phoebe turned down the chants and ran to greet him.

"Hi crap bag." She smiled as she kissed him. "Today I have been serenading Rain with the traditional chants and dance of spring."

"Well I thought maybe we could dye some eggs and Rain could visit the Easter Bunny." Mike suggested. "My parents country club always has that for the kids."

"No it is Spring and I celebrate the birth of new life . Not that holiday." Phoebe expressed.

"Well we do have a full week. We are meeting Mom and Dad on Wednesday. The Passover meal is on Thursday at the Geller house in Long Island, then Sunday is Easter at Monica and Chandler's ." Mike recited their schedule. Phoebe nodded . Yes this would be important for her friends, who she also considered her family.

Joey woke up with Alex smiling over at him. "Hey honey." She said. Joey got up and then kissed his wife. "Hey honey, I was thinking. I don't have to film this week and your case load is light. Gina mentioned something about going home for Easter, so I was wondering.' He stopped when she looked at him.

"I would love to spend our first Easter in New York." Alex said with a smile. "Yeah baby, New York here we come. I 'm comin home."Joey exclaimed.

Tomorrow …. Easter preparations…

For those who are unfamiliar with Catholic traditions. Since Joey and the Tribbianis are Catholic, I am elaborating in our church that Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. The day is a celebration of the triumphant entry into Jerusalem by Jesus as he prepares for the last supper. The palms are blessed with water and then distributed to the parish members. The unused ones are burned and then used on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of Lent the following year. The ashes are placed on the forehead to remind us that we came from ashes and from ashes we will return.


	2. Monday

Alex was packing her suitcase as she walked to the huge closet and looked for outfits. Gina strolled into the bedroom , her mouth was chomping on her ever present gum. "So are you ready to go?" she asked Alex.

"I don't know. I mean I am going to need outfits for church and for casual and …" Alex was so confused because so much was being planned for this visit. The main reason was that the Tribbiani clan and Joey's second family could meet her after their impromptu wedding. She could finally put together names with faces… Gellers… Bings. Hannigans…. Joey put his arm around his wife and he calmed her down "Sweetie my friend Rachel works for Ralph Lauren. She can go shopping with you to find some more new clothes." Alex looked up at him and smiled. "You're right . I am just nervous."

Michael entered with his bag thrown over his shoulders. "I'm ready , Mom." Out of his carry on was a science magazine for the plane trip. Gina shook her head. "My son the dork." She sputtered. "Michael , my friend Ross and you are going to get along great." Joey said to his nephew. "What he bores the hell out of every one too?." Gina said as she looked at her son. "Well he is really smart and he has a PHd in Dinosaurs ." Joey tried to explain.

"You mean he is a paleontologist ?" Michael said surprised. "That would be great to be able to discuss things with a fellow scientist. And won't we be going to his house for Passover?"

"Actually it is his parents house in Massapequa. " Joey said.

"I have always wanted to experience Passover. You know the Eucharist came from the traditional Passover seder." Michael started to lecture. "The bread and the wine."

Joey started to look at his sister and then stopped him in mid sentence. "Yeah , he'll get along fine. You are just as boring as him."

Monica stood with the molds over the table as little Erica and Emma were both wearing little aprons. Jack came in and watched them as Monica poured the chocolate into the molds. "Hey that looks like fun. Can I help?" Monica smiled at her little boy. "Sure you can. Put on your little apron." Jack put it around his neck and Monica had him come over and tied it around him. He took a spoon and spread around the colored chocolate into the molds as they made little molds. Monica made chocolate forms for all of the people coming to the dinner on Sunday. She had little forms with a shoe, music notes for the Hannigans, a little computer for her husband, a heart for her mother in law the romance writer, bunnies for the kids, and of course a dinosaur for her brother. Chandler came into the kitchen excited. "Guess what? Joey is coming for Easter." He stopped when he saw his son garbed in an apron with the legend Kiss the Cook. "And are you doing this to make me suffer?" he said as he looked at his little boy.

"There are a lot of famous male chefs. Look at Emeril." Monica said in defense. Anytime he would be questioning what a man could do that would make him look gay, Monica had to remind him that his son would not turn out like his grandpa.

"That 's just great , my son running around going Bam all the time." Chandler said in his own way.

"You are just as bad as Ross was about Ben carrying a Barbie doll. A little boy can help his mommy in the kitchen and not turn gay. Didn't you help your mother?" Monica asked.

"What was I supposed to do ? Hold her panty hose while she took them off to fool around with the pool boy." He said.

"Jack saw his sister and his cousin helping , so he thought it would be fun." Jack came up to him and said. "Yeah daddy , and then I could be nearer to the candy."

"He's becoming more and more like his Uncle Joey." Chandler shook his head. "Oh well, better a human garbage disposal than a dinosaur geek." He laughed at his own joke.

"But Daddy. Dinosaurs are cool. You see…" Jack started to explain in the way he heard his uncle talk. "It's my worst nightmare. My son is taking after Ross Geller and Joey Tribbiani." He said in horror. "You're supposed to be funny." He screamed.

Rain giggled as her father held her and tickled her tummy. Mike loved to change his little sweetie. He was a little bit leery of what his parents would think of the unconventional name that Phoebe had picked, but it was better than being named after a part of the female anatomy which is what she had originally planned. Holding up the little blonde hair girl , he swung her around as she laughed and smiled. Her arms were waving as she moved.

"Good you are playing with your daughter, while I get ready so we can go shopping for the holiday. I have to pick up some wild root, some crystals, and that special tea you like." Phoebe said as she put her notebook in her huge bag of a purse. "And then we have to get some jelly beans, chocolate eggs , and a Passover card." This other stuff was still foreign to her.

Rachel looked in the mirror at her new hair do. She was very pleased with it. She lifted her roots. Good, the gray was covered. Looking for something, she found something unexpected in the back. Taking it out, she discovered a box of Just For Men in a very dark shade of brown. He had taunted her about her vanity , and now she knew he was just as insecure about growing old as her. She returned it to it's hiding place .

"Rach." She heard him call and she ran to the living room. He turned his head to look for their missing daughter. "Where is Emma?" Ross asked. "She is at Mon's , making Easter candy . I had a hair appointment , to touch up my roots." Rachel said matter of factly.

"Really Rach, people know we are not young anymore. They have to realize that we are more than shallow, vain people , but people who have lived through experience." Ross lectured. Rachel was trying to keep a straight face as she thought of him standing in front of a mirror and applying hair dye to his own hair. "I am around young people at work every day and they know that I am a mature man who has a family and knowledge. I don't try to be something that I am not. I am proud of being almost forty."

"And I am proud of my intelligent , yet still sexy husband." Rachel said as she coiled around him and gave him a kiss. Ross couldn't help himself as he strained over the lights to see if he could see any of his own gray along his temples.

"Well this is an exciting week and I got some more good news. Joey and Alex are coming for Easter. Apparently Gina wanted to come back to Queens, and then Joey wanted us all to meet his new wife. I still can't believe it. Joey the lady killer with a wife." Ross exclaimed.

"I think it is sweet. He is a very sweet guy and it was time that he settled down." Rachel cooed.

"Even though he said he wouldn't do it until he was fifty two." Ross added.

"I think he just saw how happy his two best friends were and how we have all became like these little families and stuff, and he knew that is what he wanted all along, not to be forty and going up to girls and saying how you doin? " Rachel said. "He can very charming and romantic.

Ross didn't like that. It was a reminder of their short lived romance that made him realize that Rachel and him were meant to be together.

"But you picked me in the end." Ross gently reminded her. "I think the reason that whole thing didn't work was because I knew and so did he that there would only be one man in my life and that was you." She said sweetly and then gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

Joey and everyone were finally packed and the car picked them up . They were on their way home.


	3. Joey Comes Home

The flight attendant walked over when she saw Joey in his seat."Oh my God , you're Joey Tribbiani." She said with her hands on her mouth. "Hey how you doin?" he smiled until he saw the dirty look that Alex gave him. "Remember you are a married man now." She said as she patted his hand and he noticed the ring on hers. "I was just being friendly." He whined. "Can I have your autograph?" the flight attendant said as she handed him a cocktail napkin. Joey signed it and then smiled.

"That is going to stop right now mister." Alex said as she looked at her husband. Gina looked over in her seat and giggled. "Yeah , the great Italian lover is gone." Joey turned to her and in the mock Italian that Gina and him spoke he said. "Yo truzzo maia putzina." "And cut that out , I know you both don't know how to speak Italian." Gina continued to giggle. Michael was engrossed in a copy of Physics Today.

"You are such a geek." Gina said as she shook her head. The pilot made the announcement that the plane would be landing at LaGuardia airport in fifteen minutes and that all the tables should be locked and all seats in their upright position.

Chandler stood as he read the flight monitors, making sure that Joey's flight was on time. He was so excited to see his buddy and especially meet Alex Tribbiani. That had to be one thing that everyone was curious about, the woman who actually tied Joey down. Monica was at home busily preparing the Joey room. She was ironing the sheets as Erica brought her flowers from the garden to put in the vase by their bed. Jack was with his father as the people walked by, he tugged on his shirt as he thought Joey was coming through the security gate.

Paparazzi waited nearby as well. After all, Joey Tribbiani was bringing back to NY his new wife. The whole ceremony was a flash in the pan, so immediately the tabloids wanted a look at Alex.

"No Jackie, that isn't him." Chandler gently said to him as his face sunk. He loved his Uncle Joey because he sent him such great presents from LA. He also knew that his daddy thought the world of him . There was still Uncle Ross, but Joey was his brother. He kept the secret of him and Monica and he also was the one to marry them . A smile came to his face as he remembered the bracelet he gave him long ago with the legend Best Buds on it. That was what they were too, best buds. How could he get married without having him as his best man? That thought cut him to the core.

Monica kept busy with her daughter helping her, until she heard the noise downstairs. A tiny girl screaming at the top of her lungs…."Aunt Monica, is he here yet?" Emma ran in the room to look.

"No he isn't , where is mommy and daddy?" Monica didn't have to wait long when she saw Rachel peeking in the room as well. "So Chandler's not back yet?" Rachel said as she tried to get a glimpse of the new Joey room. "You have done a fantastic job. Just like when I stayed with you after the fire at Phoebe's."

"Well it is Hotel Monica after all." Monica said as she straightened her apron. "Hey Mon.' she heard someone call up the stairs as Ross carried their other little girl. She had her head on his shoulder. Isabella Josephine was conceived on the night that Rachel got off the plane. Monica was glad she had another niece, but bitter about the fact that Rachel could have children and once said all Ross had to do was lean on a girl and bam she was pregnant. He whispered to Rachel. "Honey , I am going to lay Bella down." With tender care, he laid Isabella with her dark hair on the bed until the Tribbianis arrived. Ross did love this baby and what she meant to them.

"Joseph!" Gloria screamed as she grabbed her purse and yelled at her husband. "Gina and Michael are gonna be here soon, so get the led out. I can't wait to see my famous son as well." She exclaimed. In the kitchen , a feast was being prepared for the homecoming. There was limited room, so she understood if Joey and his wife wanted to stay with Chandler and Monica in Westchester.

"If I know my boy, this one is a hot tomato. Va va voom." Joey Sr. smiled. "I remember that Rachel girl. Yow!" Gloria raised her hand and smacked him in the back of his head with her huge ring. "There will be no talk of his past, that Rachel girl is married to someone else , and he is a married man. Even though he was not married in the Church like a good Catholic boy." She said as she crossed herself. "And thank you for not going to the pet stuffer for a few days." She said with a smile.

"Hey I am proud of my boy, and I am proud of my Gina." He smiled .

"Then come on, their plane should be landing soon." Gloria said as the two went out the door.

Phoebe had a hair band in her hair as she sat at the table. On her lap was her angel , Rain. Mike sat with his parents friends, Sue and Kirk. He was trying to have a conversation .

"So this guy said that he wanted a lawyer ." he said as Phoebe held the baby and yawned. This was the most boring place on Earth.In her time , Phoebe would have socialized with many people. She had really great conversations with the people of the street. They were fun and had so many stories. These people were rich and dull.

She would love to tell these snobs about the Buick she lived in or the fact that she was once a mugger who mugged someone who turned out to be one of her best friends. She would also love to tell them that she gave birth to her brother's babies or that her twin sister used to be a porn star. Where was Ursula now? Probably with some white slave trader knowing her. She looked down at her watch.

"Mike,honey we really should be going. It is a long drive to Westchester." She sighed , hoping he would get the hint.

"But Phoebe, Rain. " Bitsy said as she hated to know her granddaughter had a hippy name. "Hasn't met the Easter Bunny yet. " Phoebe looked down at her baby. She was asleep. "I think we can risk it. " She lifted her up and then gathered up the Easter basket the members of the Easter lunch committee had assembled for the children. "Well Bitsy, it's been real." Phoebe said in her exaggerated snob voice. Mike just laughed as the family made an escape for the door. "Later Mom." He cried.

The monitor said LA flight …arrived. Chandler began to get excited. "Well Jackie, they just landed." Jack jumped up and down excitedly.As the people came from luggage, Chandler strained his eyes and looked for his best friend. Flashes from the cameras were going off and there was a crowd. When they parted, Chandler saw what he had come to see.

"Buddy!" Joey cried as he ran into his friends arms. Tears came to his eyes as he embraced the man. Chandler got a little misty too as he saw the man he lived with for about six years. Alex just stood quietly as she watched her husband and the man she had heard so much about. "And this is Alex." Chandler walked over and gave a kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations." He said with a smile. "I am glad to finally get to meet you." Gloria and Joey Sr. bursted through the happy group. "Mama ." cried Gina. Gloria hugged her daughter and then she turned to her grandson. "Such a handsome boy. He will be getting married soon." She said referring to Michael.

"Mah don't count on it. I don't think he's even slept with a girl." Gina said bitterly.

"Gay ?" Joey Sr asked. "No geek." Gina answered. Chandler walked over . "Then he will get along great with Ross." Chandler extended his hand. "Hi Gina." "Hey Chandler, the last time I saw you you were sticking your tongue down my sister's throat. And I thought you were gay." Gina smiled.

"For the last time, I am not gay!" Chandler screamed. The people at the airport all turned around with this declaration. Chandler realized that he had said too much.

"And who is this?" Joey said as he walked toward Jack. "Hi I am Jack .. " the little boy smiled.

"Actually his name is Charles Jack now, but we call him Jackie." Chandler said proudly, Jack looked up into his eyes and then said what he had heard his parents say he was known for. "How you doin?" he smiled .

"That 's my boy." Grinned Joey. "Come on Joey, your room awaits." Chandler said as he started to pick up their bags. "Do I have it?" Joey asked with anticipation. "No sex swing, sorry Joe." Alex and the other Tribbianis moved toward the parking lot as one car went back to Queens and the other to Westchester.


End file.
